System and Method to Support Multiple Security Schemes in an Embedded System

A mechanism for making multiple security schemes available in a single embedded system without requiring a firmware update or a hardware extension is provided. Embodiments provide firmware support for storing parameters related to each available security scheme and a selection mechanism to select the desired security scheme for the application utilizing the embedded system. Embodiments can also provide a status register to provide to a user an identification of the security scheme that is presently enabled on the embedded system. Embodiments can further prevent a malicious user from selecting an invalid security scheme.